Page 65 of Song of Her Siren

I spun around, grasping her shoulders while desperately searching her eyes. “You deserved more than that.” And I didn’t deserve her as a mother.

She managed a watery smile. “And I have it now with Gadea.”

Yes, her lover. The woman and relationship I’d scorned, though none of this had been Gadea’s fault, either. “I’m glad she makes you happy.” Swallowing back my apprehension, I forced myself to say the words that were long overdue. “I’m sorry for the way I treated you. There’s no excuse for my behavior. I blamed you for my father’s cruelty.”

Smiling softly, she cupped my cheek. “That’s because he punished you for my sins, and for that, I’m sorry.”

I squeezed her shoulders. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“And it wasn’t yours.” She tenderly stroked my face, a kindness I didn’t deserve reflecting in her eyes. “I knew you had a loving heart. I knew you weren’t like him.”

I gritted my teeth as my heartbeat came to a grinding halt. “I’d plunge my own sword into my heart before I became like him.”

“Please don’t ever say that.” She cried out, clutching her throat. “My heart would break.”

I silently berated myself for upsetting her. “Do you forgive me?” The words came out on a rasp, a dragon’s claws squeezing my chest.

“Of course.” Tears welled in her eyes. “You’re my boy.”

I took my mother in a fierce hug, not realizing until that moment how much I’d longed to hold her. It was then I felt a piece of my broken heart fuse back together.

Chapter Ten

Shiri

The next morning, wewere up before the sun’s rays had peeked over the horizon, wordlessly preparing to go to the fallen Temple of Kyan that Malvolia had forced me to raze, not to be confused with the temple in Windhaven that the priestesses had to flee when the spiders attacked. Our ancient goddess, Kyan, had several temples dedicated to her scattered throughout the Fae realm.

Tari quietly sipped her memory tea and nibbled on a tart while the girls made a mess serving themselves. My heart was heavy as I picked at my breakfast, for I couldn’t get images of Drae with those glowing demon eyes out of my head. What if it took too long for me to learn the siren song and Drae was lost to me forever? Or what if the demon Mephis was right, and I’d never learn the song? Would all Faedom be doomed? No. I couldn’t accept that outcome. Mephis was lying just to shake my confidence. I would learn that song.

Tari tapped me on the shoulder. “You all right, sister?”

I shrugged a response. “As well as can be.”

She hugged me tight, kissing my cheek. “I understand,” she whispered in my ear. “We’ll get through this together.”

I hugged her back, so grateful I still had her.

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